GSA redesigns .gov sites with mobile in mind

By Mark Rockwell

Aug 16, 2013

GSA has redesigned the electronic public faces of the government with an eye toward improving mobile access.

USA.gov and its Spanish-language version, GobiernoUSA.gov, are the federal government’s two Web portals that aggregate links to government services, jobs and information at federal, state, local and tribal agencies.

In a Web post, a spokesman for GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies said the use of responsive design for both sites will improve access to government services and information from any device, including smartphones and tablets. Although the primary target audience of USA.gov is the American public, about 10 percent of its users come from other countries, according to Web information company Alexa.

The redesign brings the public sites in line with the White House’s Digital Government Strategy, which seeks to upgrade all the federal government’s public-facing websites. The new design also adheres to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which ensures access to government information for people with disabilities, the Web post states.

Responsive design could also save money because content is developed once for display on all devices, though the post did not elaborate on specific savings.

About the Author

Mark Rockwell is a staff writer covering acquisition, procurement and homeland security. Contact him at mrockwell@fcw.com or follow him on Twitter at @MRockwell4.